Ignition system



Mar. 13, 1923. I 1,447,971 T. A. EGGER IGNITION SYSTEM Filed Apr. 1 1, 19.21 5 sheets-sheet 1 Mar. 13, 1923.

T. A. EGGER IGNI TION' SYSTEM Filed Apr. 14, 1921 5 sheets-sheet 2 Mar. 13, 1923. 1,447,971

T. A. EGGER IGNITION SYSTEM Filed Apr. 14, 1921 5 sheets-sheet 3 "iiiiiiiiih i hlllniimlli Patented Mar. 13, 1923.

UNITED STATES THOMAS A. EGGER, OF COLUMBUS, MISSISSIPPI.

IGNITION SYSTEM.

Application filed April 14,

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, THOMAS A. Eccna, a

- resident of Columbus, county of Lowndes, and State of Mississippi, a citizen of the sary parts for the roper distribution of the current in such re ation to the engine that they are readily accessible for inspection and attention. y

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l'is a side elevation of an engine with the apparatus attached, with certain parts broken away;

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is alongitudinal section of the distributing mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a front view of the engine, the parts of the ignition mechanism broken away;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section on line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the conductor shaft;

Fig. 7 is a transverse vertical section on line 7--7 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a modified form showing a rearrangement of the coil relative to the conductor-shaft, whereby connections more substantial than the usual wire connections may be made to the several parts.

The letter A indicates the base of the engine, and B, indicates the cylinder block of the engine, which are provided with the usual spark-plugs 1. 2, 3 and 4, respectively.

The mechanism for conducting and distributing the current preferably consists of the following construction :The numeral 5 indicates the drive-shaft of the ci'igine. and numeral 6 indicates the cam-shaft driven by the gears 7 and S from the crank-shaft. Arranged vertically ot the engine. at the 1921. Serial No. 461,361.

forward end thereof is the vertical drivingshaft 9 housed in the housing 10 having 11 adapted to mesh with the spiral gear 12 keyed to the cam shaft 6.

The numeral 13 indicates a metal housing within which the upper end of the vertical keyed to the lower end thereof a spiral gear driving-shaft 9 is suitably journaled, having keyed to the upper end thereof the spiral gear 14. v c

Suitably journaled within the housing 13 is the horizontally arranged stub-shaft 15 having keyed thereto a spiral gear 16 adapted to mesh with the spiral gear 14 by which. rotar motion is imparted to the stub-shaft 15. eceived on the outer end of the stubshaft 15 is a longitudinally slidable sleeve 17, having secured at the outer end thereof an insulated coupling 18. Arranged in the coupling are the radially-arranged contact points 19, the inner ends thereof being received in the sleeve 17, said contact points adapted to contact with a resilient contactbrush 20.

Extending horizontally from the housing 13, and arranged parallel with the several spark plugs is a hollow tubular stationary insulated shell 21, the outer end thereof being closed and supported by the bracket 22 suitably secured to the engine.

The numeral 23 indicates a rotatable metal conducting shaft having one end thereof keyed to the fibre coupling 18, while the opposite end thereof is journaled in a suitable caring 24, in the outer end of the shell 21. Arranged along the conductor-shaft 23 are a plurality of contact segments 25. 26. 27 and 28, which are adapted to contact with a plurality of resilient contact brushes 29. 30, 31 and 32, arranged in the hollow insulated tube 21. These brushes are connected by leads 33, 34, 35 and 36, to the spark-plugs 1, 2, 3 and 4 respectively.

The numeral 37 indicates a coil. (fonnected to the terminal 39 of the coil 37 is a wire 40, which connects to the magneto terminal 42. Leading from the coil is a wire 4-3 which connects to a resilient brush 44, which engages the conductor-shaft 23. Said shaft as explained transmits current to the several spark-plugs by the contact segments 25, 26, 27 and 28. 0110 side of said plugs is grounded to the engine. thereby delivering current to the metal sleeve 17. thence to the radial contacts 19. which are at interval contact with the brush 20. This brush is in turn connected by a wire to the terminal 46 of the coil 37.

Thus it will be seen that the circuit to the several plugs is closed as the several contact segments carried by the conductor-shaft 23 contact with the respective brushes carried by the insulating shell, the radial contact point 19 being arrangedrelative to the contact segments 25, 26, 27 and 28 as to simultaneously close the circuit at this point.

As an auxiliary source of current, I have disclosed diagrammatically a battery 47, which is grounded on one side and connected to a terminal 48 of the coil 37, whereby through the medium of the switch 49 current may be supplied at will from either of the sources.

As a means for retarding or advancing the sparking of the plugs, I preferably arrange the spiral slot 50 in the longitudinal slideable shell 17, which receives a pin 51 extending transversely of the drive-shaft 15.

The shell 17 is further provided with a circumferential annular groove 52, which receives the forked end of'the rock-arm 53,

pivoted for horizontal rocking movement within the housing 13, upon the vertical shaft 54, the lower end of which is supported in the bracket 55 carried by the housing 10. The lower end of this vertical shaft 54 Y is providedwith a rock-arm 56 connected by tributor shaft 23 and the spark plug brushes, to change the time of coincidence of said contact segments and said spark plug brushes. I

As shown in Fig. 8, the coil-box 37 is arranged' adjacent the insulating shell 21, and the brush 20 arranged in the housing 13.

By this arrangement, I am enabled to dispense ahnost entirely with wire connections,

thereby eliminating one of the troublesome features of an ignition system.

I claim:

1. An ignition system for internal combustion engine having a plurality of sparkplugs, of a stationary insulated casing mounted on said engine a plurality of brushes carried by said casing, and electrically connected to said spark-plugs, a rotatable conductor shaft journaled in said casing, contact segments carried by said rotatable shaft arranged in alignment with said brushes, a driving-shaft, an insulated coupling connecting said driving-shaft and said rotatable conductor-shaft, contact points carried by said insulating. coupling, a brush adapted to contact therewith, means for changing the time of coincidence of Said conducting-shaft, segments on said firstmentioned brushes simultaneously with the insulated contacts of said last-mentioned brush, and means for energizing said conductor-shaft and coupling contacts.

2. In an ignition system for internal combustion engines, having a plurality of spark plugs, a rotatable shaft provided with a plurality of brushes arranged in alignment with i said contact segments and electrically connected with said spark plugs, a drive-shaft, an insulated coupling connecting said driveshaft and conductor shaft, radially arranged THOMAS A. EGGER.

contact points carried by said insulated cou- 

